The Awakening: America Was Not Ready For Edna Pontellier Essay example

The late nineteenth century was a time of spacious social, technological, and cultural change for America. Boundaries were rapidly evolving. New theories challenging age-old beliefs were springing up everywhere, such as Darwins natural selection. This post-Civil War era also gave custody and women opportunities to work side-by-side, and in 1848, the first adult females rights conference was held in Seneca Fall, New York. These events ahead(p) up to the twentieth century had polished the way for the new, independent woman to be introduced. Women at all levels of society were active in attempts to breach their lot, and the New Woman, the late nineteenth-century equivalent of the liberated woman, was much on the public mind (Culley 117). Women were in conclusion publicly discussing private matters and gaining on their male counterparts socioeconomic status, and in 1899, in the midst of the womens movement, American society seemed ready for Kate Chopins newest invention, Ed na Pontellier. Madame Edna Pontellier, wife of moneyed and much respected Leonce Pontellier, had the perfect spirit. Vacationing in Grand Isle, backup in a mansion, raising her two boys, Edna seemed untroubled and sanitary cared for. plainly one cannot see anothers private distresses from the outside. Entrapped by the sequestering grave accent of the mindsets of her time and starved for freedom and expression, Edna was willing to give up her life to break free. Because of these traits, Edna exemplified the ideal New Woman. She had freedom of choice, courage, passion, and was fearless. Edna Pontellier was the role model for women striving for the same social ideals they wanted to be her. All this, and Chopins ethos with her well written plethora of short stories and her prospero... ..., 2002. p1-237.Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge, atomic number 57 Louisiana State University Press, 1994. Print.Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poup ard. Vol. 14. Detroit Gale Research, 1984. p55-84.Buhle, Mari Jo. Women and American Socialism, 1870-1920. Urbana U of Illinois P, 1981.Culley, Margaret, ed. The Awakening An definitive Text Context Criticism. New York Norton, 1976. Koloski, Bernard, ed. Preface. Approaches to Teaching Chopins The Awakening. By Koloski. New York MLA, 1988. Robinson, Lillian. swindling Our Text Feminist Challenges to the Literary Canon. Falling into Theory Conflicting Views on Reading Literature. ed. David H. Richter. Boston Bedford, 1994.Seyersted, Per. A Kate Chopin Miscellany. Natchitoches Northwestern State UP, 1979. Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York Morrow, 1990.